


Check Out Time

by Zuzanny



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Amnesia, Attempted Murder, Duo is a check-out-chick... only ins't a chick, Heero and wufei are detectives, Probably discontinued, Serial Killer, completely made up and probably really inacurate brain injuries/conditions, duo still can kick ass even if he don't know who he is, fic from 2001, heero's been looking for him, someone did bad things to Duo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26696278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuzanny/pseuds/Zuzanny
Summary: Some guys decide to rob a store. If only the check-out-chick wasn't an amnesiac former Gundam pilot.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

(i don't own GW or any of it's characters. I may play with them for a while but I always put them back. This is an AU story, since I still haven't seen the end of the series and don't know how it all ends. There's at least one 'f' so be warned. May be a few.)

September 2001

Check out Time

By Zuzanny

Part 1  
(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)

"Can I help you?" Peter drawled to the man with the pantyhose covering his face that was holding a pistol to his temple. Ginger hair stuck out at odd angles and the size of lady's under-garments was obviously too small, hence the way the man's nose and lips were squished like he was pressed against glass. The man was wearing dirty gray tracksuit pants and a yellow t-shirt with beer stains.

"Yeah, baby." The man's voice was deep, tough, and sounded like he had been cracked over the head one too many with a baseball bat when he was young. "Gimme all ya money, and I wont mess up any of your makeup."

Peter rolled his eyes and made a disgusted sound as the man's breath puffed into his face. He looked across at the other cashier, petite little naive Sally, who had her hands in the air and was looking quite frightened. Another robber was threatening her with a knife and being tapped in the box of a register she was unable to escape his reach. The second man was shorter than the first but skinnier. He had longer hair than the first which he had managed to separate into the stockings he was wearing effectively giving himself 'bunny ears'. His stockings fit him better, but he was still amusing to look at. He was wearing a black set of sweats and jumper.

The store was almost empty at this time of the morning. The manager was out the back somewhere doing what ever the manager did with himself out there. Probably wanking in the toilet or something.

"I'm not a girl." Peter said absently to ginger freak, watching as Sally emptied her register into Bunny-ears' awaiting paper bag. "Get your self some glasses."

"Oohh..." Ginger freak pressed the gun harder. "Come on sissy, I said gimme all your money, and I MEAN IT!"

Peter shrugged noncommittally. "Mean what? What will you do? *Shoot* me?" He snorted. "Not with that piece of shit."

Ginger freak growled and yanked on Peter's shoulder length braid, tilting his head back to force eye contact. Peter yelped.

Sally was not able to say what happened after that. Only that somehow Peter had disarmed the big robber and then pinned his head to the counter top with the pistol to the robber's own head. A small click was enough to let all those in the room know that the pistol had been cocked and was now quite armed to kill. Peter grinned down at the pinned robber.

The smaller one in front of her froze, then pointed the pocket knife at her again. He was shaking badly. "Don't do anything stupid, man!" He cried out in a panic and dropped the knife. "Take back your money, man, just don't hurt him!" He threw the paper bag back to Sally. She was shaking as well. This was cool to watch, but scary at the same time. She had never thought calm, gentle, sweet Peter capable of doing anything like he had.

"Don't hurt him, man!" The second was flapping about. Peter glared violet ice at him and he froze again, arms wrapped around his head and one leg tucked up like a flamingo.

"But I want to." Peter hissed, and leaned down to speak into Ginger freak's ear. "Not so cocky now? I SOOO want to blow your brains out across my counter right now, who knows? With how empty your head is already there probably wouldn't even be a mess to clean up after!" He laughed a little crazily, then sobered. "So, why should I let you live?" He asked like it was normal conversation. "You called me a girl and then pulled my hair. Do you know how many people have DIED doing what you have? Not to mention you wave this pitiful excuse of a weapon in front of my face with out even taking the *safety* off! Come ON man! What is your problem? I bet you haven't even practiced shooting this thing, have you? Have you? No, I didn't think so. You are so seriously screwed." He leaned back and looked past bunny ears, who was still standing in that frightened flamingo pose, to Sally.

"Call the cops." He said. She nodded and reached for the phone. "Tell them 'The God of Death is about to strike'. That should get them going." She stared up at him mid dial with wide eyes. Peter nodded. "Go on."

Ginger freak was now sobbing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! Please don't kill me."

Peter tilted his head to consider, then shrugged. "So what do I care for apologies? You still haven't given me a good excuse to spare your life. Hey... do you believe in God? You better think about that before answering. And your answer doesn't mean I wont kill you anyway. Better hope I don't get bored, eh?"

Ginger freak moaned pitifully.

Peter sniffed then tried not to gag. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Shit, man! And on my register too. I should kill you now!" He leaned into the pistol. Ginger freak sobbed loudly. Bunny ears began to make horrified noises. Sally too added her disagreement. Peter laughed shortly then leaned back. "Scare ya?"

Three sets of held breaths were expelled.

Peter set his laser eyes upon bunny ears. "You." He ordered. "I'll give you a chance to save you friend's life, since he can't himself. Take off your clothes. All of them."

Bunny ears balked. "WHAT?!" He shrieked, then nodded hurriedly and began to strip.

"You can leave the... thing... on your head." Peter said. "Lord knows I'll be having nightmares enough as it is with out having to see your face as well."

Peter looked back across to Sally. "You alright?" She nodded and went back to dialing the cops. She had hung up, but now she did as she was told, trying not to look up at bunny ears' dirty boxers. "They're coming."

"That's enough!" Peter stopped the strip from going any further and jumped up and over his counter top to stand behind Ginger freak, still pointing the pistol at him and careful not to stand in the puddle. He looked across to bunny ears and the pile of clothes at the stick man's feet. "Step back away from the clothes." He ordered. Bunny ears wrapped his arms around himself and did as he was told, he backed towards a shelved wall. "Keep your arms up in the air where we can see them." Bunny ears did so.

The manager walked in from the back room, adjusting his pants and smiling to himself. He froze when he saw the scene in front of him. "That the FUCK?"

(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)  
It was three years, four months and seven days after the end of the war. The world was at peace... for the moment.

Heero looked at the calendar. He didn't know why this time of year always made him feel so... sad. Perhaps it was because tomorrow was the three year anniversary of Duo's 'death'. And why would that bother him? Perhaps because there was no body and he always hoped to find Duo alive and they could... become friends? Perhaps... perhaps he was angry that Duo had NOT contacted him if he was alive, and he wanted to kill him himself for all the grief he had suffered. At least then he'd know where the body was.

"Damn it, Duo!" he said to himself, gazing out the high office window over looking the city. Blue sky reflected off all the other sky scrapers. "You always leave me with so many unanswered questions!"

Feeling quite frustrated Heero sat at his desk and set about finishing yesterday's paperwork.

There was a knock at the door. "Enter." He grunted. The door opened to reveal Wufei, looking grim. "What?"

"There's been a situation." Wufei said. "I think you had better come check this out yourself."

(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)  
Peter was shaking badly by the time it was all over. He was fine until the cops arrived and took over, and then it was like, BAM! shakes real bad. Some one had said he was going into shock.

But why should he go into shock? He wasn't injured. No one was injured. He tried to answer their questions but he couldn't quite think straight.

Yes, I know it was stupid to act the hero. I understand it could have gone very badly.

Yes, I knew that the pistol was loaded and that the safety was on while Ginger freak was holding it.

Yes, I knew how to take the safety off.

No, I wasn't scared.

No, I don't know how I knew how to do what I did, I just did.

No, I wasn't going to kill him. I've never killed anyone before... As far as I know. I was just bluffing.

Someone guided him to a chair and wrapped a blanket around him. A warm cup of tea was pushed into his hands. He just held it ans stared into the brown depths. The reflection he saw was himself, but... he felt so different. It was like he was drifting away, or trapped somewhere inside his body and only able to look out. The cops had been very nice to him. Very understanding if patronizing. They talked slowly to him to make sure he understood.

"Peter," a lady cop projected slowly. "There are some special agents here who want to talk with you, okay? Okay. They just want to ask you a few questions, okay?" She straitened and looked over his head. "he's all yours."

Peter looked up as two young men approached him. Two Asian men, almost his age. Must be pretty good at their jobs if they are special agents at this age. He thought. They were vaguely familiar in as much as they could be someone from posters he had seen in the china town cinema complex. One dark unruly hair, one dark long hair pulled back in a pony tail. That one looked like he was such a tight arse. Both of them in tidy suits that just shouted FBI. The one with the unruly hair had blue eyes though. That was not a common thing. Peter tilted his head, trying to decide if this man looking at him with the oddest expression on his face was wearing contacts or not.

"Duo?" That one asked, almost hopeful. "Is that you?"

Peter raised his eyes brows, and was now quite skeptical that these two were special agents but were in fact special cases for the nice men in the white coats. "Eh?"

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

feb 2002

Check out time  
part 2

by Zuzanny

(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)

Heero looked down at the young man seated in front of him. He was taller than he remembered, somewhat skinnier, and had changed his hair. It was shorter and white. Pure snow white at the roots and yellowish for the rest. Like it had been died and the colour was almost faded. But the eyes were the same color violet. The shape of the face the same. He knew without a doubt that this was Duo Maxwell sitting in the chair before him looking confused and bedraggled. Duo, after three years of being "missing in action", was alive and working at a local supermarket. A Gundam pilot a check out chick. It was almost ridiculous. "Please be gentle with him." The other one, Sally, had all but begged Heero. Gentle. Yeah, right. They had kept him here to question and re question him about the hold-up incident for several hours. 'Peter' kept looking at his watch.

"I'm surprised to see you." Heero said, placing his cold mask persona back on.

Duo, being now called 'Peter', furrowed his brow in confusion. "Probably not half as surprised as I am." He looked down at his watch and frowned. "Um... is there something else you wanted to ask me? I kinda have to do some things soon."

"Prior engagement?" Wufie asked, skeptical. 'Peter' nodded.

"Something like that." He sipped his tea.

"Shouldn't be too much longer."

There was a few moments of silence before Heero spoke again.

"You changed your hair." Heero said out of the blue.

'Peter' raised an eye brow. "No I haven't." An alarm on his watch went off, and he hastened to silence it. "You have a problem with it? I've had my hair like this for as long as I can remember. What is this really about? Do you think I'm one of the guys who tried to rob the store, because if you do then you're wrong. I saved the store." He was starting to get agitated.

"That's not exactly what we wanted to talk to you about, no." Wufie was talking again.

'Peter' grunted and rolled his eyes, then rubbed his temples.

"There is something that happened in there that concerns us. You see three years ago a colleague of ours went missing. No body was ever found."

"I feel for you, truly. But what has that got to do with me?"

Heero leaned forward. "He liked to call himself 'the God of death', like you did in there."

"Yeah? So? So does every guy my age. There's no law against that, is there...?" 'Peter' searched Heero's torso for a name badge and frowned when he found none. "How do I know you guys are special agent's anyway? I don't even know your names. Aren't you guy's supposed to have badges or something?" Both agents flashed their badges, allowing 'Peter' time to read over them.

"Have you been here all this time?" There was something in Heero's voice that Peter was unsure about. Anger? Hope?

"What do you mean, 'All this time'?" He asked slowly, leaning forward in his chair with curiosity.

"Since the war." Heero said.

Something drained from Peter's eyes and he looked away from them. While he was searching the wall for something to say, his watch beeped again, and he shushed it. Finally he was able to find his words. "Every one tells me there was this big war. And that it was really recent. But I don't remember it. The doctors say that I was badly injured. Really badly injured. They say that I'm lucky to not be a vegetable, let alone alive. They say I may recover some of my memory eventually, but they are not holding their breaths." He wrapped shaky arms around himself.

Heero and Wufei exchanged glances.

"So, yeah. I suppose." Peter shrugged. "I guess I must have been here since the war. I don't remember being anywhere else." He wouldn't meet their eyes and say that.

"How do we know that is the truth?" Heero crossed his arms over his chest. Peter leaned angrily across the desk top and yanked his fringe up, revealing a long silver scar that started above his left eye brow and continued back into his hair. Violet eyes flashed with fury.

"How the fuck to do you explain that, huh? Go ask my doctors if you don't believe me. Right now I'm out of here." He shoved against the desk top to push himself up and headed for the door. Wufei was a solid block in his path. "Right. Fine. That's how you're going to be then?" 'Peter' dropped into a defensive stance, one that resembled a cat in mid spring. Heero and Wufei raised their eye brows as they looked at each other from opposite sides of the room.

"I do not wish to fight you," Wufei faltered in calling 'Peter' Duo. "That would achieve nothing."

"Then get the fuck out of my way!" 'Peter' screamed, for some reason sounding panicked, the whites of his eyes dominating over the violet. Heero inclined his head and Wufei stepped to the side. 'Peter' all but ran from the room with the two agents on his heels. He ran directly to the room where they had been keeping his back pack while he was being questioned. The lady behind the desk gave it to him with a disapproving look, and 'Peter' immediately crouched on the floor under the counter and began to rummage through his bag. Books, pens, food of various kinds, all were flung over his shoulder, obviously not what he was desperate to find. Heero and Wufei watched from a few meters away as 'Peter' finally tipped his bag upside down, completely emptying its contents. Then he began to sift through the bits of stuff so frantically it was scary to watch.

"Nooooo..." He began to whine when he couldn't find what he was looking for. "Oh no no no no noooo..."

Heero moved to 'Peter's side when 'Peter' curled in on himself and began sobbing and rocking. Muttering things to himself. Heero placed a hand gently upon 'Peter's shoulder who flinched away from the contact.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" 'Peter' screamed getting all panicky again. Heero raised his arms, palms forward to show he meant no harm.

"It's okay, Du- uh, Peter." Heero tried to sooth him. "I want to help you. What are you looking for?"

'Peter's expression crumbled from violent to helplessness. "My pills." He sobbed again. "I need to take my pills. But i can't find them! Where are my pills?" He yanked at his hair and fell to the floor in search through his things again.

"Could you have left them at home?" Heero suggested. 'Peter's head shot up at that and he gave Heero a searching look. Heero saw something in 'Peter's eyes shifting. 'Peter' closed his eyes with a grimace.

"My head hurts." He said softly.

"Where do you live?" Wufei asked slowly, helping distract 'Peter' as Heero looked through a black diary from his bag. 'Peter' gave Wufie an utterly bewildered look. Like Wufei was speaking another language or something. Heero found the address, and then scooped everything back into 'Peter's bag.

"Come on." Heero said grabbing hold of 'Peter's arm and pulling him to his feet like so much dead weight. Heero hefted the back pack over his shoulder. "I'll take you home. Okay?"

'Peter' just stared at Heero, and allowed himself to be dragged along.

Wufei watched the two leave. "I'll call you when we get there." Heero turned his head to call back to Wufei. Wufei gave a dismissive little wave and watched them go.

to be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

July 2002

Check out time  
part 3

by Zuzanny

(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)  
Duo, so sorry, 'Peter' leaned heavily against the door of Heero's car. In fact Heero thought that the door was the only thing keeping him even semi-upright. He stared blankly in front of him, eye lids drooping. Heero noticed that when he slumped, he pulled his sleeve up slightly revealing a silver medical bracelet and lots of silver scars.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Heero just had to make sure.

"...nno." 'Peter' slurred. "Mmeh pillssar a... hommmm..." Peter took a shuddering breath. "Hurry."

"We're almost there." Heero reassured him. 'Peter' made no response. Heero continued to drive.

The apartment building was a gray slab of a thing, seven stories high. There were potted palms standing outside the main doors next to the mailboxes. Heero parked the car and virtually had to drag 'Peter' inside. It was an old building, fairly shabby. Probably rat infested. Probably the cheapest in the city. Most likely it should be condemned.

The lifts were not working, but Heero was not surprised about that. He was glad that 'Peter's' abode was only on the second floor because the red painted stairs were cracked in some places and crumbling in others. Heero dragged 'Peter' along the hall to the door that was his number with 'Peter' almost flung over his shoulder, then fished in 'Peter's' bag for the keys.

"What are you doing to my Bunny?!" A large man with a blond halo of hair around both head and face bellowed from down the hall making Heero look up briefly before continuing his trial and error of the keys in the lock. Heero thought the man resembled a Viking. Large stomps came towards him. "Bunny, Bunny, are you okay? This man hurting you?"

Heero finally realized that this man was referring to 'Peter when he said 'Bunny'. He turned to face the man. 'Peter' was a limp thing under his arm. "Do you know him?" Heero asked the man. "He's having some kind of medical situation. His medication may be in his apartment." He showed the man his badge. That changed the big man's entire person from defensive to concerned.

"I'm his neighbour, down the hall. Alf. He helped me get in a few times when I locked myself out."

/Sounds like Duo./ Heero thought to himself. Heero managed to get a key in the lock and open the door. Alf took 'Peter' from Heero's arms and carried him inside. 'Peter's' apartment was actually just a bed sit. One room that had a bed against one wall and a small kitchen/bathroom against the other. Everything was bare and white. Like there was no one living there. Alf lay 'Peter; on the bed while Heero went about searching the place for pills.

"Why do you call him 'Bunny'?" Heero asked while he was rummaging through the bathroom cabinet. He couldn't find anything that resembled pills.

"Peter Doe. A Doe is a lady rabbit. Bunny."

/Can't argue with that logic./

" What can I do to help him?" Alf asked looking lost and unsure.

"Look for a bottle or pack of pills with a really long name." Heero told him, coming out of the bathroom to lean over 'Peter's' sweaty form on the bed. ALf did as he was told.

"Peter," Heero gently slapped his cheek, trying to get him to open his eyes. "Come on, I need you to tell me where our pills are. Peter. Peter!" Heero was becoming impatient. He didn't want Duo to die on him. "DUO!"

Suddenly violet eyes snapped wide open with terror, and Heero was flung away by a thrashing, screaming young man.

(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)  
Wufei walked through the crowded hospital wing to the service desk. A woman about mid forty with died red hair and green glasses sat typing madly at a computer, and talking on a head set.

"That's right Marge, he said shingles, not malaria. How the two were ever confused I'll never know. You don't say! Doctor Jarrie is on leave right now. No he didn't say. Probably next month or so. "

Wufei waited patiently for her to look up, which she did eventually.

"Just a second Marge." She covered the mic on her head set. "Yes?"

"I have an appointment with a doctor Maguire." Wufei told her, flashing his badge. The woman looked over her glasses at the computer screen and typed some more. "Detective Chang." He clarified his identity.

"Hmmm." She grunted, typing some more. "Take a seat. He should be available shortly." Then back to her conversation. "I know! Forty-five dollars I said, and was I right? Told you so..."

"Thank you." Wufei turned and walked to the waiting area.

A few minutes later a young man in a white doctor's coat came out to the waiting area carrying a few folders. "Chang Wufei?" He announced to the room. Wufei stood and followed him into an awaiting room.

"I'm here about a patient that had been admitted about three years ago. A 'Peter John Doe'." Wufei told the doctor, handing over a bit if paper he had used up several favours to get. Doctor Maguire read over what was written on it and frowned.

"What is it about this patient that has caught your interest?" Maguire asked cautiously, obediently looking up the file on his computer.

"My colleagues and I have reason to believe he is someone who we knew that went missing three years ago. Someone close to us, by the name of Duo Maxwell."

"Yesss?"

"Today 'Peter John Doe' saved a store from being robbed, and identified himself as this lost friend of ours. Well at least the name this friend liked to call himself. However he seems to have been in an accident threes ago and has lost his memory. I am here to ascertain what kind of an accident and how serious."

Maguire looked through the file, his frown growing. "This Peter John Doe was in no accident." He said after some moments.

"What?"

Maguire picked up the phone. "Selma, get me file 3589854JD16, please. Room 35. Thanks." He hung up again, then turned a serious gaze to Wufei. "More like someone took a carving knife to him."

To be continued... MWAH HAHAHAHAHAA!


	4. Chapter 4

Check out Time  
by Zuzanny

part 4  
(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)

Blood was draining down the walls in a slow, slick dribble. More splashed up like some one was throwing a tin of paint up. Some one was screaming with each new splash of it. Someone else breathed heavily, excited, almost sexually aroused.

"Heh, heh, heh..." came the heavy breather's voice, with a puff of foul smelling warmth on his face. "You're gonna DIE! Gonna DIE! Heh heh heh..."

/I wonder who he's talking about?/ He thought, and blinked as more blood splashed against the wall. The flickering light cast shadows showing a person raising up a carving knife and bringing it down again.

(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)  
"What do you mean, 'some one took a carving knife to him'?" Wufei all but screeched at doctor Maguire.

"Look at the notes." The doctor replied handing over a file that had just been delivered to him. Wufei's grim expression went even grimmer as he did so.

"'Multiple stab wounds to the chest and stomach, slashes to his arms and legs, stab wound to the head...'" Wufei read aloud with growing horror. "'All with such precision to cause the most pain with out killing. It is suggested a surgeon was responsible. Subject states he has no memory of the situation or his life before hand. Traumatic shock.'" He looked up at the doctor. "Have the police investigated all this?"

"I should think so. They were informed right away, it says here. Perhaps his memory loss may be why the investigation has not continued." Wufei growled to himself, vowing to follow up what happened with the investigation.

"Why was he told he was in an accident?"

The doctor shrugged. "I was unaware that he was. Perhaps if you talk to some of the ambulance officers they can enlighten you."

Wufei left that doctor with the names of the ambulance officers that had attended his friend, wondering why the situation turned out the way that it had.

(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)  
"Yeah, I remember that." Ambulance officer Redmen took a shuddering puff on his cigarette before dropping the butt on the footpath and stomping it out. He blew out the smoke then crossed his arms and leaned against the brick of the hospital wall. "It was one of the most horrible scenes I've ever attended. Blood everywhere. I seriously thought the kid was dead. I'm surprised he didn't die with what that psycho had done to him."

"What do you mean?" Wufei asked.

"The sicko was cutting him open. The bastard deserved all he got."

Wufei prompted him to continue.

"We were originally called in to attend a truck crash. The tail end on a milk tanker had slammed through a building as it turned a corner. Still don't know how that happened. Thing is that when we looked inside the building, we found the kid tied down on a table, all cut open. I could see his insides, it was off. I remember he had no clothes on and had all his hair cut off. There was this really long braid on the floor by his head. Poor guy, must have taken him his whole life to grow it as long as it was. Anyway, the arse end of the tanker had missed the kid by inches and hit the sicko, crushing him against the brick wall behind him. He was still holding the knife."

Wufei busily wrote it down. "Thank you." He said, beginning to walk away, then he turned back. "You thought 'the kid' was dead?"

"Yeah, I was checking his pulse though, just to make sure, and he opened his eyes. It was freaky. He said the strangest thing. He said 'It was doctor Jay. Get doctor jay for me heero.' We still haven't found no doctor jay. At least not in any of the city hospitals."

Wufei stiffened at that. "Perhaps it was the psycho trying to kill him." With that he pulled out his mobile and called Heero.

(INSERTLINEBREAKHERE)  
Having his mobile phone ring while his old partner and friend was having a screaming fit of terror did not make Heero feel any calmer what so ever. Duo- he decided that 'Peter' was just not his name, 'Duo' was, and that's what he was going to call him, so there- was thrashing around, trying to get free from the hold Heero had on him. Heero had thought Duo was noisy three years ago. Ha. He wondered if he'd still have hearing in his left ear after this.

"I've found them!" Alf called from looking in the icebox in the fridge. Why the pills were in there was anyone's guess. Alf tossed the bottle of pills and Heero caught them in one hand, struggling to read the label and hold Duo down at the same time.

There came a heavy knocking at the door. "What's going on in there?" Some one yelled.

Alf opened the door to explain while Heero set about opening the bottle with his teeth. Not an easy thing to do. But he was Heero, after all. Duo punched him a good one in the jaw. It was enough to make his head snap back, but made him more determined to hold him down. He heard another person by the door say "For God's sake, call an ambulance or something." Then the bottle was open, and he shoved the required amount in the open mouth in front of him and down the throat. Then he covered Duo's mouth with his hand. After a few minutes the pills seemed to take effect. Duo stopped thrashing around, and gradually lay back against the bed, twitching and gasping for air.

"What the hell was that?!" Said yet another person from the door. Heero got off of Duo and turned to crowd that had gathered and showed him his badge

"Alright, nothing to see here. You can all go back to your... rooms. Go on now."

Alf hesitated by the door.

"I think he will be alright now. But I may need to contact you in the future."

"Of course!" Alf gave him his details and then was gone. Heero closed the door and leaned against in with a sigh of relief. Duo was still panting and twitching, staring up at the roof. Heero's mobile started ringing again.

"What." He grunted.

"Heero," Wufei said with some urgency. "I think doctor J tried to kill Duo."

Heero was quiet for some time. "Oh?" He asked.

"Yes. Oh."

"Well that would explain that."

"Explain what?"

"Why he was screaming his lungs off like someone was trying to kill him."

"Did you find his pills?"

"Yes, and they've done a real good job at shutting him up."

"Heero?" Came Duo's voice. He was still looking up at the roof blankly.

"Hang on," Heero told Wufei and knelt at Duo's side. "Yeah? I'm here." He clasped Duo's cold, sweaty hand. Violet eyes jerkily fixed on him and Duo smiled up at him.

"I knew it... I knew you'd... come... save me." Then his head fell to the side. Heero's heart leaped with fear. That was until he checked Duo's life signs and read the rest of the bottle's label. May Induce Tiredness. Heero let out a breath of air he didn't realize he had been holding. To find Duo, only to lose him again was unacceptable. It was not going to happen.

to be continued...?


End file.
